Cincinnati officials are denying the account of a Texas Tech recruit who implied coach Tommy Tuberville left the dinner table on an official visit with players in order to accept the job at Cincinnati.

Offensive line recruit Devonte Danzey says he, other recruits and eight to coach Texas Tech coaches were all at dinner at the 50-Yard Line Restaurant when Tuberville left the table and did not return.

During dinner conversation, Danzey says he asked the coaches how long they expected to be at Texas Tech.

“I asked Coach (Charlie) Weis at KU and Coach (Dana) Holgorsen at West Virginia (the same question), just so I know my relationship,” Danzey told 247Sports.com. “(Tuberville) was just telling me he coached at Miami and Auburn, he coached 10 years and recruited Ray Lewis and kind of blew the question off I didn’t even realize.”

He added: “The waitress brought our food out, and we thought (Tuberville) went to the bathroom, but he never came back to dinner. The next thing I know, the next day, he made an announcement that he’s going to Cincinnati.”

“Those reports are inaccurate. There was no contact between Coach Tuberville and Cincinnati prior to Saturday morning. Coach said he was at dinner, talked with everyone, and went home.”

UC athletic director Whit Babcock, who worked with Tuberville at Auburn, says the first time he talked to Texas Tech AD Kirby Hocutt about Tuberville was Saturday morning. The same day, Tuberville took the job and was introduced as the Bearcats’ new coach Saturday evening.

While Tuberville’s job change was surprising, it would be even more unbelievable if Tuberville indeed never had a conversation with Cincinnati until Saturday and was introduced that same night as coach. But that’s exactly the way Babcock described it as he hurried to fill the job left open by Butch Jones’ departure to Tennessee.

The morning after dinner, Danzey said the recruits were told Tuberville was Cincinnati’s new coach and that Chris Thomsen would be the interim coach.

Danzey, meanwhile, still has Texas Tech on his list, but is also interested in Baylor and West Virginia, along with Kansas, Auburn and Washington State.